WHEELING, W.Va. -- With increased reports of middle school-aged children becoming victims of bullying or an Internet crime, Wheeling Jesuit University (WJU) and State Farm have teamed up to develop and deliver a new course to educate students about the dangers.
The Coalition for Youth Safety, funded by a grant from State Farm, was established to teach Wheeling Jesuit criminal justice majors about three main child safety issues: Internet safety, bullying and social media. This summer, six WJU students took the course and this fall they will apply what they have learned, teaching middle school students in Brooke, Hancock, Ohio and Marshall counties about the dangers of each.
“We take our role as a good neighbor seriously when it comes to keeping you and your family safe,” said State Farm Public Affairs Field Manager, Jen Alvarez. “Program collaborations like Coalition for Youth Safety, allow each of us to work together to build safer, stronger and better educated communities.”
The State Farm grant funds: the course development; stipends for guest lecturers; student travel to participating middle schools; materials to develop the student presentations; and a web page which will freely disseminate information about these safety issues.
The developer of the course, Wheeling Jesuit's Dr. Larry Driscoll, a criminal justice professor, believes that issues related to social media, bullying and Internet crimes are only going to get worse. He said this course provided WJU students with the understanding and background to teach the middle school students safety awareness and strategies in these areas.students give back to the community.
Dr. Driscoll said, “We have found through research and other programs that middle school students relate better to younger adults - someone that speaks the same language. The middle school students need this important information, because they are more vulnerable. Most importantly, the Wheeling Jesuit students will serve as positive role models and mentors for the young people that they will be teaching. We are very grateful that State Farm has generously funded this project. It's important work.”
Between June and August, the six WJU students learned from local experts and special lecturers, each bringing different messages and lessons on Internet crimes, bullying and social media.
The experts included:
o Zack Allman, Marshall County Sheriff's Department and a member of the child Internet safety task force, will lecture on the topic of Internet safety;
o Terry Huffman, chief deputy director for probation for the United States District Court, will lecture on cyber-bullying and social media issues;
o Todd Gilbert, director of the Juvenile Mediation Program for the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, will lecture on bullying;
o Tammy West, mediator for the Juvenile Mediation Programfor the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, will talk about how to avoid becoming a victim.
The WJU students, in addition to taking the course, will continue to create materials that they will pass along to their middle school students. They will work in two teams of three to become “mini experts” in one of the three focus areas.
In August the six Wheeling Jesuit students developed a presentation for the middle school students and will deliver the program to the middle school students up and down the Northern Panhandle in the fall of 2013 and spring of 2014. The course will be offered again in upcoming academic years, with current students acting as “mentors” for new students enrolled in the course.
The Coalition for Youth Safety, Driscoll said, fits into the University's mission of teaching its students and then having the students give back to the community.
